Both sides in the Brexit debate stand accused of engaging in their own version of "Project Fear". It appears that any warning that there are likely to be some significant downside risks from leaving – or staying, depending on your perspective – draws the accusation of "scaremongering" from the opposing camp. On the one side, there are prognostications of economic chaos and decline if we leave the EU. On the other side, there are horror stories about the unstoppable flood of migrants - and not just migrants, serious criminals and terrorists - that are heading our way if we remain. ...
Like many academic books it is ridiculously expensive, it is advertised on Amazon for £58 . I recall a meeting of the Liberal Party Standing Committee in 1979 which was drawing up the Election Manifesto. We reached the item on the agenda marked economic policy. There was a silence until Richard Moore spoke: 'I joined the Liberal Party in spite of not because of its economic policy 'he told us. Many people hold the opinion that our party gives economic policy a lower priority than say the environment, reform of government, foreign policy, Europe, individual rights or the state of ...
Another video about a lost line from Londonist.
Running an election campaign, a local party or indeed a larger part of the Liberal Democrats has much in common with running a small or medium size business up against bigger, richer competitors and with disaster looming if you run out of your key currency (money or votes). In the year before a general election polling day, for example, a typical Parliamentary campaign will have a turnover in six figures, a small handful of staff and tens of thousands of voters (customers) to keep happy. During his leadership bid, Norman Lamb talked about wanting a 'start up' mentality for the ...
Spurred by Boaty McBoatface, Ian Jack devoted his Saturday Guardian column to the naming of things: The naming habit probably reached its zenith between 1920 and 1950, when the four big railway companies produced thousands of steam locomotives that carried brass nameplates, variously honouring army regiments, public schools, battleships, Derby winners, famous shipping lines, country houses, aristocrats, remote colonies, old kings, young princesses and holders of the Victoria Cross. No other railway system in the world named nearly as high a proportion of its engines. The brass plates represented what seemed most solid, singular and enduring about British life - ...
My copy of the new Liberator arrived this morning. I have already started serialising Lord Bonkers' latest diary, but I thought I would share some of Radical Bulletin with you too. The lead item looks at the Gurling review of the Liberal Democrats' performance at the 2015 general election: James Gurling and his colleagues have pulled few punches. If their report has a weakness it's that it all too well reflects the general election campaign's fundamental mistake of seeing political problems and offering organisational solutions ... The elephant in the room throughout ... is Nick Clegg himself, Its conclusions painfully ...
The memo about Britain having overspent on its credit card has clearly not reached Desborough in Northamptonshire. There the Conservative-run town council has voted to increase its portion of the council tax bill by more than 400 per cent. Defending the decision, the council's chairman Cllr Mike Tebbutt told the Northamptonshire Telegraph: "I've had a few complaints passed on to me by the council clerk and they have all been responded to explaining our intentions. "The rise is absolutely justified. We are going to provide many of the things that people have wanted to see happen in Desborough. "From information ...
Norman Lamb has been out championing mental health care again. He has an article in today's Independent which begins:Thousands of people suffering from mental health conditions will continue to miss out on timely help, a former minister has said, warning that promised reforms to NHS mental healthcare would be impossible without extra spending. Norman Lamb, who served as the minister responsible for mental health in the Coalition government, said that vital new waiting-times targets for a range of mental health conditions including bipolar disorder and OCD "won't happen" because the plans were not funded. You can donate to our local ...
Tue 29th
15:25
The Liberal Party and the Economy, 1929-1964 - or what politicians do when economists change their m...
[IMG: The Liberal Party and the Economy 1929-1964 by Peter Sloman - book cover] Peter Sloman's widely praised The Liberal Party and the Economy, 1929-1964 comes with as hefty a price tag as its weight of scholarly research. That is a shame because it will most likely pigeonhole the book as one for academic specialists in a niche topic rather than as a more general study of how politics and policies – economic thought in this case – interact. In this excellent book – Sloman's first – the story of the tensions within the Liberal Party between suspicion of the ...
[IMG: Election Law Defamation and Libel] It is vital that everyone in the Liberal Democrats stays on the right side of the law throughout the forthcoming election campaigns, and we'll be here to help you do this. ALDC are again providing free election law advice to campaigners in Scotland, England and Wales. There are three ways you can access advice: Online [...]
[IMG: Conservative Budget Shambles] Our friends at Liberal Democrat HQ have released several templates attacking the Conservatives over the latest budget. There's a Focus drop in for A4- PDF or PagePlus Focus drop in for A3 – PDF or PagePlus direct mail text – Word DL insert – PDF or PagePlus A4 standalone leaflet that you can mailmerge and target deliver – RISO [...]
More comedy genius from Australia's Clarke and Dawe:
The interviews for the post of Liberal Democrat Head of Campaigns are presumably fairly imminent now. If I were on the interview panel -indeed even though I am not - here are some questions I would want to ask of the candidates. These are not about political strategy or policy matters but to do with Campaign methods and organisation. Neither are they meant by any means to be an exhaustive list just my particular current bugbears. Perhaps too I should preface these questions by noting that I started out as a voluntary Campaign Organiser in the 1980's and 1990's for ...
[IMG: Richard Kemp and the Liverpool Lib Dems have released their 2016 Manifesto] Whilst it is not often the case that local parties can find the time to prepare and produce a full manifesto for local elections, our friends in Liverpool have created an in-depth guide to the radical changes they want to see for the city after this year's local and Mayoral election. As well as showing [...]
The Liverpool Echo has the story – see link above [IMG: nhs-logo] This is a shocking story right at the heart of our local NHS here in Sefton and Liverpool.
www.richardkemp.org.uk/manifesto Well the good people of Liverpool have an opportunity to rid themselves of Joe Anderson on May 5th and Cllr. Richard Kemp has published his manifesto offering a new and positive start for this proud City. Please click the link above to read about Richard's priorities for the City. [IMG: key_kemp_jacket] Probably the most important thing about this particular mayoral election is that a new Mayor is elected as in my view Joe Anderson has not done Liverpool any favours during his tenure. Frankly, Liverpool Labour Party should have bitten the bullet and picked a new candidate to fly ...
Nick Barlow is fundraising for St Helena Hospice RT @nickjbarlow: Just a reminder I'm doing this in a couple of weeks to raise money for @StHelenaHospice All donations welcome! Hull University students demand refund over campus closure | Education | The Guardian Great British Bake Off producers threaten charity baking competition with legal action - Telegraph In today's Oh For Fuck's Sake news... RT @M_Z_Harrison: Bit blowy out so you may see the odd baby bird that's fallen out of its nest. Here's what to do: Academisation: a cautionary tale from Holland | IOE LONDON BLOG Pun of the week ...
The Conservatives are tearing themselves apart and showing their true colours on cuts for the disabled and people on low incomes. Welfare policy and tax within the Liberal Democrats are the areas WE can define ourselves as a party. Beveridge, always stated that a welfare system is required to protect people who need protection but must avoid idleness and encourage individuals to take up their responsibilities. As Liberal Democrats we should adopt a progressive welfare policy which protects those with illness, disability and individuals that need to care for others. As well as supporting those who wish to get back ...
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie has slammed the SNP for setting out a shaky stall on education and tax policy while continuing to focus on the drive for independence. Responding to comments made by Nicola Sturgeon this morning, Mr Rennie said Scots want to move on from the divisions of the constitutional debate and [...]
The deadline in Thursday night (actually Friday morning our time), but I'm pretty settled on my nominations now. I listed most of them here; this is most of the rest. First off, two categories that I didn't think I would be nominating in. But a wander round the art show at Eastercon, combined with reflection on previous finalists, has brought me to the realistaion that I do like the work of the following artists enough to nominate them; and I hope I have got them in the right categories. Best Fan Artist: Andy Bigwood Chris Moore Jane Stewart Margaret Walty ...
The new issue of Liberator is on its way to subscribers, which means that it is time to spend another week at Bonkers Hall. Except, Lord Bonkers if far from the Hall as he writes this... Do you know New Rutland? I sit in one of the dives on 52nd Street writing this diary before I take a yellow cab to JFK and a jet to Oakham International Airport. I was a regular visitor to New York as a young man, the more so after I was given a Manhattan penthouse by a grateful President for rendering services to the ...
This issue's free sample online content relates to the upcoming referendum on membership of the European Union, with David Grace exposing the Leave campaign's deceits, and Kiron Reid assessing the effective of the Remain campaign and some mistakes it has made. Elsewhere the issue has the Commentary, news and gossip in Radical Bulletin, book reviews, Lord Bonkers' latest thoughts and among the articles: Beyond Hillary and Bernie – whoever is the candidate, the Democrats face tough choices about their future, says Rebecca Tinsley Not quite a survival plan – The 'Gurling' general election review has a sound analysis of what ...
Nominations are open for this year's Made in Bury Community Awards, for local people who have made a particular contribution which is worth recognising. This year there are four main categories in the Made in Bury Community Awards. These are as follows: – Outstanding contribution to a township – Young person or young persons' group – outstanding community contribution -Volunteer of the year award – Good Neighbour award. The deadline for entries is by 5pm on Friday 22 April 2016. Winners will be announced at 2pm on Wednesday 18 May 2016 at the Annual Full Council meeting to which award ...
If you are in Edinburgh this evening and looking for a 'warm up act' ahead of the STV leaders debate, then why not head to the Teviot Debating Hall at Edinburgh University for their latest debate on Welfare & Housing. Alex Cole-Hamilton, the Scottish Liberal Democrats candidate for Edinburgh Western and No. 1 Lothian List [...]
My colleague Councillor Mary D'ALbert attended a meeting on 23 March that discussed the Parklife Music Weekend that will take place on 11 and 12 June 2016. A Community Impact Task Group has been in place for all of the previous events. This is responsible solely for residents (and businesses) rather than the audience attending the event and is managed separately to the event from a Community Impact Hub / Control Centre The aim of the Community Impact Taskforce is to Increase the number of issues and complaints that are satisfactorily resolved with a swift response. A report has been ...
Tonight (Tuesday) the Scottish party leaders go head to head for the second time during this campaign in the latest Holyrood election debate. The action starts at 8pm on STV and with a longer running time than the BBC version last week it is hoped that a little more substance will emerge after a rather [...]
During the AV campaign, the No side had a whole wing of comms dedicated to doing down the idea of having the referendum in the first place. A "why are we having a vote on an electoral system that no one knows anything about when there are children dying in the streets?" sort of a thing. Looking back on it, this may have been the most effective plank of that particular campaign. They were greatly aided by the press in this, who basically echoed their line from the beginning; still, it worked. I was reminded of it this morning when ...
Last week Bury Council's Overview and Scrutiny Committee met to consider a 'call-in' or review of the Council's recent decision to proceed with 'Option 1' on Bury New Road in Prestwich. The decision was to reject the 'call in', and the decision of the Council will be unchanged. Myself and Councillor Mary D'Albert/a> were at the meeting to observe, here's their report. Background to the Scheme There was quite a lot of discussion about the the purpose of the whole scheme and the hope that spending money on Bury New Road would 'kickstart' regeneration in Prestwich. Obviously investment in Prestwich ...
This ad for Hamlet Cigars never made it to air, though it shows how much has changed that it got as far as being produced:
The Easter weekend marked the 40th Anniversary of formation of the Alliance of Liberal Democrats in Europe (ALDE). ALDE is a political party is formed of an alliance many of the liberal and democrat parties in Europe. [IMG: BBG ALDE] The ALDE party was founded on 26 March 1976 in Stuttgart in Germany. It was the first cross border political family. More can be read on the Stuttgart declaration at the ALDE party site but suffice to say it is based on the Oxford Manifesto of 1947 and was was formed from fourteen parties from Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, ...
A number of West End residents who live close to the Tay Rail Bridge (to its west) have contacted me as they are having television reception problems caused, they think, by the canvass canopies on the bridge as part of the current works, that they understand may be interfering with the TV signal. These constituents receive their TV signals from the Tay Bridge relay transmitter in NE Fife. I contacted the Community Relations Manager, Scotland, at Network Rail who advises : "The map below shows the position of the TV Transmitter in Tayport (Tay Road Bridge); the top of the ...
[IMG: The Queen, in regaia of the Order of the Garter] The Queen, in regalia of the Order of the Garter What actually happened was that The Sun ran a provocative piece on 9 March 2016, claiming that the Queen backed Brexit. The assertion was that she had "rip at the then Deputy PM [Nick Clegg] during a lunch at Windsor Castle". Clegg rapidly tweeted "As I told the journalist this is nonsense. I've no recollection of this happening & its not the sort of thing I would forget" and the BBC ran a story about Buckingham Palace being clear ...
Should You Tinder While You Travel? Dating apps in London, Berlin, Sweden and Brooklyn. (tags: travel internet sexandgenderandsexuality ) All Those New Dinosaurs May Not Be New — Or Dinosaurs Insider nomenclature baseball of paleontology. (tags: fossils ) Crossing the border My Cypriot friend @esraaygin explores the Franco-German frontier. (tags: cyprus france germany eu ) Follow the money: Apple vs. the FBI @cstross has a theory about the real agenda. (tags: technology internet economics ) An Open Letter to Trump Voters from His Top Strategist-Turned-Defector Extraordinary testimony by former Trump insider @SCegielskiPR. (tags: uspolitics ) 4 Reasons Why You (Yeah, ...
Controversy over UKIP's number one list candidate in South Wales Central has been reignited after former Tory MP, Neil Hamilton leapt to his defence. The Western Mail reports that Mr. Hamilton has defended fellow Ukip National Assembly candidate Gareth Bennett, who has been accused of a "shocking slur" after criticising the multiracial nature of Cardiff and saying Eastern Europeans were responsible for some rubbish problems. Hamilton said unemployed Mr Bennett was "a nice chap" and "would make a very good AM" and said he was not a "racist or unpleasant person": Asked whether Mr Bennett, who made his controversial comments ...
Someone at The National has obviously developed a bit of an obsession with the Scottish Liberal Democrats. It's really kind of cute. For a paper that makes The Beano look like the pinnacle of hard-hitting journalistic integrity, whose main party-pieces are a Twitter account with a beret, a talking dog and a guy that writes in a register that has more in common with Klingon than Scots, it really is quite an achievement for them to have hit a new low. The latest front-cover is attempting to smear the Lib Dems over a series of grants made by the Joseph ...
